Not ALONE in Battling Evil

HOMILY: First Sunday of Lent

Luke 4:1-13

6 March 2022 

Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA

Each of us has experienced the lure of evil at some point in our lives. We have all been invited to turn our backs on God. That is to say that temptation is a universal human experience. It happens to both young and old, when least expected. Sometimes, we, ourselves tempt each other. Two friends were talking. One said I am giving up NETFLIX as my Lenten Sacrifice. The other replied in disbelief, “Really? That’s great!” Then she proceeded to enumerate all the interesting shows recently added to the streaming service. Her friend laughed and said, “Baka next week, bumigay na ko. Temptation ka eh! Andaming magandang papanoorin.” 

In the Gospel, we hear the familiar account of the temptation of Jesus. Jesus subjected Himself to be tempted by the devil. We know that he was faced with temptations of power, possessions and preponderancy. (the three P’s) We also take note that the text suggests that these temptations occurred in three different places: the wilderness, on a high mountain and on the parapet of the Temple in Jerusalem. One Bible commentary suggested that rather than considering them as three consecutive experiences happening almost simultaneously at a particular moment, perhaps they have to be seen as temptations with which Jesus was beset with throughout his public life.

These recurring temptations happening in Jesus’ lifetime are recounted in various gospel accounts. “[The other Pharisees) to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.”  (Luke 11:16). “One of the criminals who was hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39). After feeding 5,000 hungry people with an abundance of food, “the people there said, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!’ Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him king by force; so, he went off again to the hills by himself.” (John 6:14-15). These gospel accounts illustrate that the challenge to be faithful to the Father’s will was a continuing struggle for Jesus because being fully human, He, too, was tempted in every way. They would occur again and again at various stages in His life, right up to and especially at the most trying moments of His life on earth.  In His anguish in the Garden, Jesus cries out “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) How did Jesus overcome such temptation? Prayer! Jesus prays intensely.  “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray…” (Luke 22:41) He even urges His disciples to pray… “Pray that you do not come into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) Furthermore, let us consider the final sentence of today’s Gospel, which says: “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.” Luke 4:13) That strongly suggests that the battle against evil was not a one-time occurrence for Jesus. It took place over and over again at various stages in His life, right up to and especially at those last hours in the Garden of Gethsemane and as He was hanging on the Cross.   

If we look closely, the temptations of Jesus mirror those of the temptations of God’s Chosen People in the wilderness. They grumbled that they were left to die in the desert of hunger and thirst. What did they do? Israel made a golden calf and worshipped it. God’s people repeatedly tried and tested God and questioned the leaders God had appointed for them. Where God’s people failed in the wilderness, Jesus triumphed by remaining faithful to God. As one Bible commentator points out: “In His responses to the tempter, Jesus would constantly defer to the power of God: it is not by bread alone… worship God only… do not put God to the test.”  It was Jesus’ humility and confidence in God, His father, that helped Him resist the temptations.

In varying forms, we too are tempted, especially when we presume to be most in control of our own lives and believe to be strong enough to battle temptations without God. Those who have experienced the effects of the abuse of alcohol and other substances understand best the lure of temptation. They think they can control themselves and that they have the power to stay within their limits, only to end up endangering their lives by taking too much.  Sometimes, the immediate satisfaction of our whims makes us shun what is truly of value in our live — our good relationships, and the ideals of truth, honesty and integrity. At this election time, we are faced with all forms of temptations. Candidates are tempted to lie, cheat, and speak ill of their opponents. Voters are tempted to spread lies about candidates, sell their votes, and reject family and friends over differences in politics. One very subtle temptation is to believe that the devil is not going to tempt us. My friend jokingly said, “So pag hindi tayo kinukulit ni Taning, ibig sabihin ba ay napapasailalim na tayo sa kanyang kapangyarihan. O di kaya na discourage na siya kasi di siya pinapansin?” The devil, is relentless. He will continuously try to get us to turn our backs on God. He will try and deceive us into believing we can handle our lives without God. Our only defense is to draw closer to God in prayer and keep Him constantly at our side. 

Let us also be assured that we are not alone in this struggle. At the very beginning of the Gospel passage, we are assured that Jesus was not alone in the desert because He was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us that same Spirit before He returned to the Father. Let us call on the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and guide us in our struggle against evil.